As most of you know, next week, Dancing with the Stars will celebrate its 200th episode. Associated Content is reporting that each celebrity will perform a dance they have not learned yet as well as a team dance. To celebrate the 200th episode, past DWTS contestants will return. Among those confirmed to return to the ballroom are Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Emmitt Smith, Drew Lachey, Mel B. and Gilles Marini. There will also be two group dances, led by “DWTS” winners , team captains Kristi Yamaguchi (season 6) and Apolo Ohno (season 4). Musical guests include Taylor Swift and Rod Stewart.

Right now, this is all very confusing to me and messy. I hope that isn’t the case next week. We are all confused enough by what happened this past week with the elimination of Audrina and Tony which I still haven’t recovered from. lol (Heidi: It didn’t confuse me. 😉 )

Speaking of….Erin Andrews dished to Movie Line on her thoughts on the devastating elimination. Here are some snippets from that interview. Be sure to see the link for more.

In fact, it’s probably good to have a bad week. Then people remember to vote for you. Otherwise you end up like Audrina did yesterday!I’m… stunned. Are you stunned?

Traumatized!Ha! I was shocked. I was actually flying back from LA, and I hadn’t gotten to see the show. When I landed, I read Maks’s Twitter, and it said, “America got it wrong.” And I was like, “What?!” They were the last people I thought would be eliminated. I was with Tony [Dovolani, Audrina’s partner] at dinner the night before. Let me tell you, there are some nights you think you’re going home. But that was not the vibe any of us felt about those two.

Ouch, you got to talk to them the night before? Were they at all pessimistic? I mean, they tied for second place this week.Second place. It was unbelievable. I don’t think either one of them had the sense they’d be leaving at all. I think everyone kind of thought, “Ehh, maybe this person will go, that person. Maybe it’s time for that person to go.” But not those two!

On Maks, Brandy, and Bristol, she said this…..

Yeah, you got to witness the Brandy-Maks dynamic firsthand. What did you think?I liked it! You know, I thought their dance was great. I thought he kind of stole the show with the leather pants — no offense to Brandy. I mean, he comes out in those pants and it’s like, what else are you supposed to focus on? But I loved meeting her. She was great. You can tell she really, really, really wants to win this thing. She kept saying it over and over. She kept saying, “I really want to win this. I really want to win this.” She said she was glad I was came and she appreciated the support. So I enjoyed meeting her.

I know you said Bristol did better this week, but how optimistic are you for her future on the show?I don’t know. It’s just going to get harder. Obviously the night of the dance marathon that night, I was there. But they’re going to have to start doing two dances. It’s going to get worse. The competition will get more difficult. I mean, if she can stay in it, and I know she wants to, I’m all for it. Good for her. But it’s just going to start getting harder. I don’t remember what her criticism was that night, but I thought she did have the technique. Her technique looked great. She’s just got to let herself go, emotions-wise. I don’t know what dances she has coming up, but it’s not going to be any easier. And the judges aren’t going to get any easier as well.

Mark Ballas has blogged a little about the next week’s dances and Bristol at USA Today. Here’s what he wrote;

Time to kick it into overdrive!

The results show just wrapped and I only have about 20 minutes before the remaining cast hops into a minibus and heads to rehearsal for three hours tonight. We have two dances next week: a partner dance like we always have, and a group dance. For the group dance, we’re separating into two teams of three couples, each headed up by either (former season champs) Apolo (Ohno) or Kristi (Yamaguchi) my partner when we won Season 6. I really hope I’m with Kristi, as we’re close friends and work very well together.

It might sound redundant by now, but I’m really proud of Bristol. After getting the poor scores and doing our worst last week, getting the encore performance this week was incredible! I knew heading into Monday’s show that Bris would do well, and she killed it. I wish (judge) Len (Goodman) hadn’t docked us the point for separating, but it doesn’t matter because Bristol is coming alive on the floor!

Have you noticed how she’s really owned the judges’ critiques of more emotional performing, playing a character and enjoying the dance? The more comfortable she feels, the better I think we’ll do. Isn’t it fun watching Bristol get better every week? I know I love it, and I get a front-row seat. Each week, this competition will get more heated. The dancers are a close bunch, and we become like a big family with the celebs. But on show days and with someone going home on results shows, backstage gets really tense. I mean awkward tense. Everyone is working hard, and no one wants to lose.

We hope to have more blogs coming up. So, stayed tuned.

Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this interview of Derek at Popwatch. He may like the “Theme Nights” but, I think it’s safe to say from the reaction here, fans of the show are over them. More at the link.

Does anyone on the show take the “in jeopardy” thing seriously at this point? Were you and Jen shaken at all to be “under the red light”?You forget while it’s happening that it may not be a real bottom two. That red light is like the warming light at a diner. You hope that something good comes out of it, but you never really know.

How important do you think is the order in which couples dance on Mondays? Any idea how the order is determined? Are you relieved whenever you find out you’re dancing near the end of the show?
Every couple is different. I’m not sure how they choose who goes first and last, but I’d prefer if we always went in the middle somewhere.

So many theme nights this fall! Are you tired of shaping dances around themes, or do you think themes are necessary to keep things interesting after so many seasons?
The themes present new challenges. I like that aspect of it — we get to think even more creatively about choreographing and props.

Heidi’s Note: Found an article about Audrina’s elimination and the guest judges next week at Access Hollywood:

Next week’s “Dancing” episode will mark the show’s 200th episode and more than 50 former celebrity contenders will be back for the monumental event.

Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Emmitt Smith, Drew Lachey, Mel B and Gilles Marini will all return to serve as guest judges, while Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi will also be back to serve as head team captains for a group dance round with the show’s current contenders.

On Tuesday, Kristi, who returned to the ballroom, said she’s ready to take down her fellow skater after seeing him land a couple of his “Dancing” numbers in the Viewer-Voted All Time Top 10. (Click HERE to see which dances made the list)

“He had two dances in the top 10 and that just stoked my fire because I want to turn the heat on now,” she said. “I want my team to beat his.”

In TV Alerts out there: Be sure to watch The Ellen Show on Friday. Maks and Brandy are making a guest appearance on Ellen’s special “Halloween” show. Should be good.

Lastly, just a reminder that today is the last day you can vote in the “Design a Dance” competition for your favorite dancers. So be sure to get your votes in if you want to see your favorites dance.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

I was just wondering from all the dances there are, which is your very favorite on the show? Mine is the Argentine Tango. I hope for whoever has this dance this upcoming Monday, can nail it with a lot of heart, emotion, romance, and passion in it. The more, the better I say!

For media to start off our weekend, we have Anna and Kurt practicing for their upcoming dances from ET On-line. They have the Paso Doble this week. Anna explains the Group Marathon.

Jennifer and Derek were interviewed by Access Hollywood. They address the drama backstage and if there is any animosity. Thanks again to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this tip. 😉

As reported before, Rick and Cheryl were on “The Talk” yesterday. They discussed their their dancing strategy for winning! Rick also discusses co-parenting with actress Vanessa Williams. Plus, Cheryl discusses being a victim of cyber-bullying and how she made it as a dancer.

Does he not look fine if that suit?? He is one of the best celebrity male dressers out there.

For some cool details on the Results show this upcoming week, J!-Entertianment is reporting that legendary rock group “Heart” and Kylie Minogue (one of my favoritie artists) will be performing. There will also be another Special Macy’s Stars of Dance Rock Number from School of Rock. More details below. Note to John: Check it out! Peta Murgatroyd is going to be dancing. 😀

On Tuesday’s results show, legendary rock and roll band Heart will play its iconic hit, “Barracuda,” accompanied by “Dancing with Stars” pros Louis Van Amstel, Karina Smirnoff, Derek Hough, Chelsie Hightower, Damian Whitewood and Peta Murgatroyd. Heart recently released its 13th studio album, “Red Velvet Car,” produced by Grammy-winning producer Ben Mink (kd lang, Feist, Bare Naked Ladies), which debuted at No.10 in Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 Album Chart. Their current AC single, “Hey You,” was in the Top 30 for three months, while their classic rock single, “WTF,” hovered near the Top 10 (on those respective charts). Heart has sold over 30 million albums and had 22 Top 40 hits. Over the past decade, Heart songs have achieved ubiquity in pop culture in films (“Shrek 3″), television (“American Idol,” “Glee,” “Dancing with the Stars”), commercials (Honda, Swiffer) and videogames (Rock Band, Guitar Hero), as well as being performed by other top artists (Eminem, Fergie, Gretchen Wilson, among many others). To support the release of “Red Velvet Car,” Heart toured throughout the summer of 2010, including four Lilith Fair shows and nearly 40 headline shows, which continued through September 25 and will pick up again in November and December. Heart’s first album, “Dreamboat Annie,” was released in 1976. The band broke barriers with a repertoire that includes rock classics like “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Straight On,” alongside acoustic standards like “These Dreams,” “Dog & Butterfly” and “Dreamboat Annie.” They were 2008 recipients of VH1 Rock Honors, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northwest Grammy Foundation and received ASCAP’s Award for Excellence in Songwriting in 2009.

Also on Tuesday, international Pop icon Kylie Minogue will perform her new single, “Get Outta My Way,” which hit the top of the Billboard Club Chart this week and marked her second consecutive No.1 Billboard Club single from new album “Aphrodite,” following the smash “All the Lovers.” This is Minogue’s fifth No.1 club single to date, joining an illustrious list of chart-toppers including “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” “Love at First Sight” and “Slow.” “Get Outta My Way” impacts mainstream radio on Nov. 1, and a suite of remixes are currently available on all digital download stores. Minogue’s new album, “Aphrodite,” was released in July and debuted at No.19 in the U.S., marking her highest U.S. chart position since 2002′s “Fever.” “Aphrodite” became her fifth No.1 album in the UK, hitting the top spot a full 22 years to the week since her debut album, “Kylie,” entered the chart. The album also made Minogue the first solo artist in the history of the UK charts to have a No.1 album in four different decades.

Lastly, we have Maks’ latest blog from TV Guide. Here is a take from it of their upcoming dances. Be sure to read the link for more about his feelings on their dance last week and some updates on his family and how they are coping after their loss.

We have the tango next week. It’s going well. We’re taking the same approach. Like the quickstep, we have a dance that has us in a close position the entire time. It’s the challenge of making it as exciting as possible since other couples have the paso doble, which is a much more visually exciting dance. We’re just trying to do the best tango we can. I’m a little concerned about the costumes because we have to do things that represent Rock ‘n’ Roll. We have a rock song and the floor is going to be black. I know some people don’t like all the themes, but I don’t mind them. You will never be able to please everybody. Producers are doing what they can to make it entertaining. I just want to make sure that the focus doesn’t shift from ballroom dancing. The simplest comparison I can think of is asking a pro swimmer to swim in something other than water. I’m just worried about the changes to the floor. It’s not hardwood, so it poses some difficulty. I know there’s going to be some rips and stuff. But we’re all in the same situation. We all need to figure out how to be our best. I feel like they can experiment and we’ll see how it goes. There’s no way of predicting what it’s going to be like.

We also have the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon. We started working on ours a little bit. We’ll put together like a 30-to-40-second routine mix of jive, swing and lindy and go from there. The biggest challenge will be to dance for a long period of time. They didn’t choose an easy dance for four minutes. It’s really about stamina and creativity. We’ll put together a more active routine. The thing with the marathon is that the audience doesn’t get to see the whole floor, especially for those watching at home. So you watch whoever you’re drawn to. But this is more of a ballroom format where there are so many couples dancing at the same time, so you need to be active.

But honestly, my focus right now is the tango. I’m so in my head as far as the tango goes. Brandy and I had a long conversation Wednesday. We got a taste of what it’s like to be on top and we want to stay there. We don’t want to rest on laurels and say, “That’s good enough.” I’m focused on bringing out the best in her every week. She said she’s considering putting some stuff on hold because she wants to do her best as well. Every celebrity who does the show does it to promote themselves in some way, but I always believe that the publicity will absolutely come to you. If you do too much publicity during the show, it could cost you. Or you could be on the show until the end and the publicity will come to you after you’re done. Also, I want her to get the most out of this experience. You blink and it’s all over. We’re halfway done now. Five weeks sounds like a long period of time, but it’s short in this competition. I’m happy that she actually told me that. I was like, “OK, great.”

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

It’s already Friday and another dance week is fastly approaching. I can’t believe the dancers can put together a performance together so quickly let alone TWO dances for this upcoming Monday night!! 😮

Up first today, we have a new 8 minute interview with Maks and Brandy on Fox “Good Day LA“. They try to stomp out rumors that the two don’t get along and how much they’ve grown as a dance couple and as friends. Check out how one of the interviewers calls Maks an “ass” and how he addresses it. lol

Brandy also wrote about their dance last week in her new blog on Access Hollywood. She describes the intensity and how sad she was to see Florence go.

So, we’re at the halfway mark now and while Monday was a great night for both Maks and I, Tuesday was filled with both joy and sadness. After a rough week of intensive rehearsals, I felt nothing but calm going into Monday’s night performance. All day I felt prepared and ready and very confident that I knew the routine and could hold up my frame. Practicing for the quickstep was almost as tiring as the jive, because while my arms and neck are stiffly positioned, there is a lot of footwork that goes into the dance.

We had pulled the theme song from the TV show “Friends” and I knew that it would strike a chord with the audience. While I knew the song, I had never seen the show. I definitely believed that we pulled that song for a reason, as Maks and I have a burgeoning friendship that I’m certain will go beyond this show. He brought in some useful tools to help me keep my upper body in frame during rehearsals. We went over each portion of our routine, bit by bit, and put together what I thought was a great way to incorporate the audience into our dance. So, all of Monday, I felt completely calm and ready for the show.

I admit that my nerves flared up just a bit before we went on, but once the spotlight hit we were off and I felt confident that I had managed to keep everything together and pull off a good performance. When we heard the judges’ scores of three 9’s, I was ecstatic! It’s one thing to be confident about your performance and another thing to have the judges validate it. I definitely wasn’t perfect, but I had incorporated the judges’ previous points and my confidence was at an all-time high when we returned to the booth.

Needless to say, when it came down to the final two, I was saddened to hear Florence’s name called as the one being eliminated. And yes, before you ask, I did get a bit teary-eyed but I’m hoping the camera didn’t catch that! From day one, Florence has been really wonderful to me. I was just so excited to meet such an icon, but she truly is an inspirational woman and always had a smile whenever we were together. We would sit in the make-up trailer and chat and compare aches and pains. She would share with me part of her life’s journey at times and I laughed at some of the great stories she told. Maks became a complete cuddly bear whenever she was around. She was so protective of him that I would giggle! Imagine….Maks needing protection!

When we knew she was going home, everyone got emotional and I made sure to rush down the press line so that I had a chance to say goodbye. It really does get harder, knowing that you will have to say bye to someone who has been such a huge presence in your life each week. No matter what anyone says, when you work the long hours that we do and spend so much time together, there is a bond built and you do become a sort-of family. And now half of that family is gone. It is a sober reminder of the weeks to come. As I grow more and more confident in myself and in my abilities, I continue to strive to get better each day of each week. It’s not just about the dance. It’s also not just about the people. It’s about the memories that we’re all making together.

Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this video showing the awesome support the celebrities have this year. Note the special appearance by Michael J Fox and his wife in support Jennifer Grey. Is he just not the coolest or what? Same with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Speaking of Team Jenougher, I’ve got to post this. Look at this picture Rick Fox took of Derek yesterday funning around in Rick’s suit. The size difference is remarkable, isn’t it? Special thanks to Cheryl for posting this on Twitter. Heidi’s Note: He so looks 12.

Anyone else having a “Thriller” flashback moment?

So, is it The Tea Party keeping Bristol in this competiton? I hate to say it, but I think that is exactly the case for what Joy Behar said on “The View” this week. It’s a “right wing conspiracy”, simple as because I don’t see what else it could be (some of you are going to kill me for saying that, lol). If that’s the case, she and Mark could be around for a very long time yet despite talent and who are the better dancers. Watch this and see which lady from “The View” you agree with.

Can you believe DWTS is to air their 200th episode come Nov. 2nd? Time flies when we are having fun. In honor of this special event, The Examiner is reporting that Taylor Swift has been one act booked to perform. Most likely she will perform something from her new album. This will be her second time to perform on the show.

For some TV Alerts, Rick and Cheryl guessed on “The Talk” on CBS today. We hope to have a video of that soon. Also, don’t miss seeing Audrina and Tony on “The Ellen Show” on Monday on ABC before the show.

Ok, more later and don’t forget to do a Tango in your living room tonight with one of your family members or better yet, by yourself with a broom. It is fun. Try it sometime.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

So, our stars of the show are starting to blog about this past week’s dances and on their future dances. Here are some snippets from Mark’s new blog from USA Today. On his Dad and Florence leaving, he wrote;

The best emotion to describe how I feel right now is bittersweet. I can’t explain how great it feels to know that Team Ballin has great fans that pulled us through this week. But it’s a bitter feeling because my dad (pro dancer Corky Ballas, matched with entertainer Florence Henderson) got eliminated.

I’m his biggest fan and it makes me really sad that he’s leaving the show. I lost my partner who throws the football around with (retired NFL quarterback) Kurt Warner on Tuesday afternoons. Who’s going to show up (pro dancers) Maks (Chmerkovskiy) and Tony (Dovolani) with me now? Ha!

On Bristol;

It’s terrible feeling like you might go home. As professional ballroom dancers, we’ve spent our lives competing and we want to win and be successful very badly. When you don’t have your strongest performance and feel you may be eliminated, you just feel sick to your stomach all day.

So how about those gorilla suits? How funny was that? The judges keep harping on Bristol to have a better overall performance and play a character, so that’s exactly what they got! We had great fun with all the shots of us backstage, jumping on couches and beating our chests, and the fact that we pulled off dancing in gorilla suits will be remembered for years!

Pro dancer Derek (Hough) said never in a million years would he have his partner wear — and remove — a costume like that. I’m so proud of Bristol for going for it and pulling it off!

We’re back to work Wednesday. We have two dances this week, the Tango and a group dance.

No time to let up now!

Here is a snippet from a cool new interview with Erin Andrews on the show and her former partner Maks from Movie Line. She is their new “Dances With The Stars” Commentator.

Your old partner Maksim had a great week with Brandy, earning the highest score of the night. What was your reaction to that?I know Maks had a tough week because his grandmother passed away. Obviously they didn’t show that in the feature. [Based on] everything that I heard from him, the show really helped him out with dealing with that. So I was happy to see [Maks and Brandy] not fighting and getting along. I haven’t met Brandy yet, but I know how much everybody puts into that. By the time Monday comes and you see the feature they’ve put together, it’s like — if you’ve been fighting all week, you’ve finally gotten through the week, and then you see the feature where you’ve been arguing — you’re like, “Gosh, really? This is the focus?” That’s why I kind of felt bad for Derek and Jennifer. You work so hard, and then you see, “Oh, crap, we’re going to be fighting. This isn’t good.” So I was happy Brandy and Maks had kind of gotten their act together.

Last week you said that Brandy needed to stop and listen a bit more with Maks. Do you think she did that?It sounds like she kind of figured out that he’s a perfectionist. I made this comparison at the time: He’s like a lot of coaches that I look up to in the sports world. He demands a lot of his students. When you come into that show being the best that you are in your profession and you’ve got someone who’s demanding of you and you don’t know really what you’re doing, it’s very hard and you become very insecure. So you have to kind of figure out your groove in the relationship with him. I don’t know if I ever figured it out. It looks like she kind of figured it out. And you know what? The competition is getting tougher. She’s going to have to learn two dances. It tests you and tests your patience. She’s still going to have to learn about how to handle him, but I’m glad it looked like they got off to a better start.

Do you think he needs to adapt to her just as much as she adapts to him?Oh, I absolutely think every professional has to adapt to their students. Maks had to figure out how testy I got, and he knew that if my blood sugar was going down, it was time to get out of there and go get a coffee or a smoothie, because I wouldn’t pay attention and I’d get crabby. He knew not to have practices too early in the morning because I was exhausted. He knew when I needed to be fed, he knew what things to joke with me about and when to push me, absolutely. Both sides have to figure out what the best way to work together is.

It’s funny that Audrina forced herself to eat an onion and ruin her breath this week to help deal with the pressure of a romantic dance. Are the “romantic” parts of a routine nerve-wracking? Did you think about them a lot ahead of time?Well, there’s two things about that. I would always get in trouble on that show for chewing gum. I was always insecure about my breath. It’s just something that bothers me in my life now, like when I interview athletes or coaches. Dancing with this gorgeous man for seven hours a day, I was like, “My breath cannot smell.” So I constantly had to have gum in my mouth. The producers would yell at me and be like, “I need you to take the gum out because you can’t be chomping on-screen.” And I’d say, “No, I’m sorry, I don’t want my breath to smell with him.” So when Audrina did this onion thing, I was like, “I am so confused.” That would not make me want to be romantic! Maks wouldn’t come near me if I didn’t have gum in my mouth, and I’d push him away and say, “My breath smells, don’t come near me.”

And that’s not all. Special thanks to Andie, Rick Fox did a fun interview with Ryan Seacrest this past week which is a fun listen if you happened to miss it.

Speaking of….for you Cheryl Burke fans who are wanting to see more of her after this season ends, The LA Times is reporting that she is to star in “Forever Tango” at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills in January.

“Forever Tango,” which is directed by creator Luis Bravo, tells the history of the sensuous dance through musical numbers and vignettes. The show originated in San Francisco in 1994 and opened on Broadway three years later. Burke has been practicing up for her stage gig. She and her current partner, former Laker Rick Fox, tangoed their way through last week’s competition, which included a visit from the “Forever Tango” troupe. The show at the Saban will run for four performances, Jan. 14-16.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Heidi usually has been covering all the best press that comes out about Dancing with the Stars, but this video was just too funny (Thanks ck410 for pointing it out). I guess Ryan Seacrest sent Security Guard Roger & Radio Show Phone Operator Nelson to interview the new cast of Dancing with the Stars. It made me laugh so hard. I like this type of raw coverage. Enjoy!

She gives the list of the ones she heard and one of which I forgot to mention: David Hasselhoff. His name has been bandied about some this week and of course Landon Donovan is still out there as a rumor. Also, based on this interview, I think Derek and Chelsie were told there were going to be on the show because TPTB knew they would be asked while doing press at the Emmys – Derek is usually more careful if he doesn’t actually know if he’s on or not.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

So apparently Heidi & I were on this freaky wavelength this week where we both agreed on everything…literally, we thought of almost the exact same things for this weeks awards. Add to that the fact that this week was just a pretty damn good week, both performance-wise and results show-wise, so this week’s awards are a little less snarktastic (sorry kids…we just were feeling the semifinal love this week :-D) and a little more just odd observations…but interesting ones nonetheless! Now…let’s take it cheesey, shall wee? 😉

The “3rd Time’s a Charm!” Award – Cheryl & Chad , for their 3rd week in a row wearing see-through ballroom outfits
Courtney: I think wardrobe was cutting corners and just made 3 identical dresses for Cheryl, and then dyed them whatever color felt right for the week, hehe. But this time they actually got it right: I loved that flesh tone on her, and it went perfectly with her 40’s-esque, softly curled hair. A definite improvement from the white christening gown two weeks ago, and the black negligee (complete with thong-like lower back thingie!) from last week. Chad dittoed his Viennese waltz silky pajamas again…gotta say, that’s the most interesting interpretation of a ballroom suit I’ve seen in awhile. To me it says “Heck yah I’m gonna do the waltz, and then afterward, I’m gonna go have drinks with Hef – without changing clothes!”

Heidi: Hee – we are sharing a brain today – I was having deja vu with my “another day, another see thru skirt. But you’re right, this one was very pretty.

Biggest Waste of Season-Long Buildup Award – The Design-a-DanceCourtney: Why oh why did they think having two former celebs doing a dance together would be a good idea??! This was a disaster, IMO. Sloppy choreography that neither of them seemed to really know well, a crappy tango song, and Joey Fatone in KISS makeup. Bleeeccchhh. Even the guy that designed the costumes seemed to be unhappy to be there witnessing it! The Design-a-Dance has really been going downhill since the first one where Julianne & Derek did the jive to “Great Balls of Fire” in season 7 – now that was worth the season-long buildup. Then there was the 4-person quickstep with Derek, Mark, Julianne, & Lacey, which was still pretty cute; and then the pro-am paso with Mark & Sabrina, which was just kinda ok…and then this. Oy. Hopefully next season they’ll revert back to the 2-pro format…because this was a big letdown.

Heidi: Again, sharing a brain. WTF? Like we don’t have enough amateurs dancing on this show they have to make DaD amateur as well? I must say, though, that the designer will probably be a huge success because he has “bored bitchface” down to a science!! And really, that’s all it takes to be a designer, right?

The Carrie Ann Inaba Weird Analogy of the Week – Describing Nicole’s ability to learn new dances as “Pooping out cells”Courtney: It’s moments like these that make me wonder if Carrie Ann knocked back a few drinks before hitting the judging table. I mean, I understood what she meant; it was just really…awkward. I think I liked the Charlie Brown teacher analogy better.

Heidi: As soon as I heard the word “Poop” I was gone. I mean really, I prefer Bruno’s f-bombs.

The Peculiar Body Language Award: Nicole & Derek, for their repeated neck-touchingCourtney: Now Heidi may have been tipped off by their armpit sniffing and gum spitting last week, but the way they kept touching each others’ necks this week made me wonder if there was something more than just platonic friendship going on between these two. The neck is a vulnerable, erogenous zone – you don’t just go around caressing someone else’s unless you’re romantic with them. Yes, I am aware that Derek injured his neck – but why did Nicole feel the need to keep touching it? And why was he touching hers? Hmmmm….

Heidi: Honey, he wasn’t just touching, he was stroking – very strange, particularly since he’s not giving off the vibes he did with Joanna (aka the “yer sooooo pretty and hot” vibes ). I had several WTF moments with Nicole and Derek this past week – like, if she had taken any longer with the family after the AT (including bf) he would have picked her up and caveman carried her to the celebraquarium.

Unofficial Sponsor of the Semifinal Performance Show: PrinceCourtney: The Purple Man…the Artist Formerly Known as Prince…whatever you call him, he’s AWESOME. Two Prince songs in one night, and a Purple Rain-inspired costume? LOVES IT. The only thing better would be him sitting in the front row, glasses on, hair all pompadour-y…glorious.

Heidi: Derek says in his blog that the song they danced to was specifically ONLY allowed for Nicole. I believe his words were “Nicole and Nicole ONLY” was allowed to dance to it. Pretty cool. Love the Purple One.

The Whoopsy-Daisy Award: Bruno and his various faux pas this weekCourtney: First there was the “9!” while holding up the 10 paddle; then the naughty word slip that those skillful censors managed to catch in the nick of time. I wanna say there was more stuff he fouled up a bit, but I just couldn’t keep track of them, haha. The man was in rare form this week…didn’t think it was possible for him to be any more flamboyant than he already is! LOL.

Heidi: I love the little dude. You want me to post the video of him and Billy Bush in speedos? Seriously – I have that and haven’t had time. It’s a little on the scary side. They cook in their speedos too.

Tom Bergeron Line O’ the Night: “Bruno had premature paddling” (check the actual phrasing) tied with “I’m gonna go get me one of those Derek Hough Injuries”Heidi: You know, the very best thing about Tom and what makes him so lovable is that he clearly loves this show and everyone involved in it. That makes him genuinely hilarious in a sweet way.

Courtney: He’s like the Papa Bear of DWTS, looking out for all his baby pro-ducklings and star-ducklings 😀 He reminds me of Cat Deeley on SYTYCD – she always seems to look out for the contestants and seems to develop an attachment to them each season. Seacrest, on the other hand – he almost seems like he intentionally puts the Idol kids in the hot seat for ratings. Whole lotta good that’s doing, buddy.

The Cheese Match Made in Heaven Award: Corky Ballas sitting almost next to Donny OsmondHeidi: Lord have mercy, that’s way too much cheese for me. Good thing there was one dude sitting between them or we might be drowning in cheddar sauce.

Courtney: Oh good GAWD – I do remember seeing them sitting in pretty close proximity, a few rows behind Rick Fox & Kareem Abdul Jabbar (glad those two Lakers were there to run interference and cancel out some of the Corky-Donny energy…the building could have imploded from too much cheese!). The clash of the attention fiends! Here’s my weird Carrie Ann analogy for them: have any of you ever watched MadTV and seen the sketches with Stuart, the little boy Michael McDonald played that was always saying “Look at what I can do! Look at what I can do!”? Well, put Corky & Donny in front of a camera and you’ve got yourself a regular old Stu-off…each one trying to outdo the other, saying “Look at what I can do! Look at what I can do!” Hilarity.

Most Stark Transition to Adulthood since Britney Spears: Miley Cyrus
Heidi: What the hell? How old is this little chickadee?? Or do I not want to know? So, like when you reach (Hollywood’s version of) adulthood you grow feathers and live in cages, or is that only for lip-syncing pop tarts anxious to shed the Hannah Montana label?

Courtney: This was like the second coming of the “Dirrrty”-era Christina Aguilera – totally contrived and just plain weird. And yes, Heidi, when you reach adulthood you do grow feathers and live in cages, and fake smooch on your female backup dancers and grind with gay choreographers (*cough*Adam Shankman*cough*)…apparently you and I just missed the memo 😉

Ahhhh…this week’s awards seemed to go down like a nice brie cheese – smooth and not at all sharp. Apologies for those of you wanting something a bit bitier 😉 Maybe the chips on our shoulders will return next week for one last hurrah before a 4-month hiatus…fingers crossed! 😀

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble. Check out some of my other work at pureamericasgottalent.com!

Most Bizarre Costuming – Cheryl & Chad’s see-through ensembleHeidi: So, this was like 1820’s porn or something? She’s wearing the hoop but not the actual dress over the top?Courtney: I think I was more perturbed by Chad’s matching see-through sport jacket with no shirt underneath. I think there was a method to their madness – Chad is admittedly better at the Latin dances, so they figured if they made their costumes feel more like Latin costumes than ballroom ones, they might fare better…hehe. Well, something must’ve worked, because they got undeservedly high scores…AGAIN.
Heidi: Don’t worry, the judges will make up for it next week when they have their “off the meds” week.

Most Improved Tweeter – Evan LysacekHeidi: Hey!!! Evan stopped spamming me about voting for him. He’s like down to two tweets on show day!! Now, if he would stop talking about his freakin’ private jets…it just occurred to me that he probably gets paid for those tweet.Courtney: I’ll have to take your word for it – I stopped following Evan after tweet number 1,475,236 asking me to vote for him. Thankfully, Anna has left the begging to Evan, and has only tweeted a few times asking for votes. Good girl

Biggest “Get Out of Jail Free” Card – Maksim ChmerkovskiyHeidi: So, he removes clothing (gimmick) and breaks hold in a quickstep, his partner is off time (and correct in calling him a five year old) and he still gets a 9 from Len?? Gee, Derek and Nicole broke hold, had gimmicks did a BETTER DANCE and got a 7 from Len. And people wonder why I throw my Blackberry at the TV. Edited: Okay, so maybe “free pass” was a poor choice of words…perhaps the bottom two was payback? Courtney: Week 2 of Maks the Petulant Asshole. Last week he threw a tantrum while getting his scores – then proceeded to bitch and moan about it all week in the media. Erin practically BEGS him to not take his clothes off this week, he drops 4+ F-bombs in a matter of seconds, and storms out – and STILL insists on removing his clothing during their quickstep, which I still think is what threw Erin off at the beginning. And then, karma strikes – they end up in the bottom 2. But of course, they get a stay of execution and we lose Pam instead. All I have to say is that Maks had better be really, really, REALLY thankful that he’s around next week, after the crap he’s been pulling. NOT COOL.

The Cheesiest “I told you so” Moment: Tom B calls Evan the “comeback kid”.Heidi: Not Tom’s fault – producers/script writers, you are SO fucking predictable!!!Courtney: Oh, but it has such a nice ring to it 😉 Kidding! Just another glaring example of storyboarding – right down to what the hosts are saying…which is why Brooke still sounds stilted and awkward. She’s trying to rememember the wording they told her to use to explain Evan’s rise back to the top! Thankfully, we have Tom to also throw in perfect little gems off the top of his head…

Funniest Side Note: Tom B – “Cause that’s how we roll” in reaction to audience boos.Heidi: LOL – I love the man’s ad libs – I can’t help it!!Courtney: In that moment, I think Tom & Chad became homeboys.

Best Celeb “Shell Removal” – Evan LysacekHeidi: dude is coming out of his shell in a big way. Omega Sheep?? Dude, she’s RUSSIAN!! Don’t be talking like that to her, she could remove your balls with a fingernail. Hilarious.Courtney: Tread carefully, my friend – not only is she Russian, she’s a redhead. A REDHEAD. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Pro Least Ready to be Back on the Dance Floor – Mark BallasHeidi: Dude, big slip like you had in that pro dance after a knee injury – not good. Surely you could have sat out another week or two for your own good? And so Derek could take your place in the dance? Just a little selfish, I’m being.Courtney: Ugh. The spaz came back. And the fact that they had him paired with Chelsie? Oy. But that’s not the only thing wrong with that dance…

Song that Should NEVER Be Heard on DWTS Again: “Hey Soul Sister” by TrainCourtney: First, they laid ruin to it vocally when they had Peter Brady sing it (rather, warble it) for Aiden & Edyta’s quickstep. Then, they had a random assortment of pros dancing a positively bizarre mashup to it – did they let Mark choreograph that monstrosity while he was still coming off the anesthesia? It started off with Mark & Chelsie doing something kinda slow & lyrical, then all of a sudden, Dmitry & Lacey are doing a frantic jive. Tony & Cheryl show up at some point and do something sort of samba-y, and then they’re all doing this cheesy, weird, jazzy/show choir/seizure choreography. I literally said “WTF is this crap?!” out loud.Heidi: It was just very, very strange. I don’t know what to say, really. And I like Train, usually. I will say, in all seriousness, if Mark is trying to get out of DWTS, there are less painful ways than dancing way too soon on a knee injury that was described so seriously a few weeks ago. Of course, this show isn’t prone to DRAMA or anything…

The “So Perky, it’s a Whole New Level of Cheese” Award: Melissa RycroftHeidi: Help me, sugar shock, throat is closing up…I’d tell her “don’t quit your day job” if I thought she had a day job. Seriously, Melissa is okay, she’s just too cheerleader for me sometimes. Like today.Courtney: Hang in there, Heidi – I know it’s hard to be cheerful right now! She may be irritatingly peppy, but at least she can form insightful thoughts on the fly – unlike some hosts I know.

Most Impressive Demonstration of Flexibility – Louis’ full split, honorable mention for Anna’s split lift with EvanHeidi: Dear lord, Louis, I don’t have “family jewels” but I twinged in sympathy anyway.Courtney: Back in the day, when Louis was still competing as a pro, he was known for his flexibilty – no other male pro out there could stretch as far as that little Dutch rubber band. I got a little nostalgic last night when I could see him going for it And while women are built to be more flexible, I have to give Anna props for the split lift she did with Evan – she kept those legs straight & spread and didn’t falter for a second.

Most Welcome Return to the Ballroom: Karina SmirnoffHeidi: That was an excellent pro dance. Oh Karina, how I’ve missed thee.Courtney: I feel like we don’t have enough female pros on the show anymore that are true TECHNICIANS – Karina’s feet, legs, torso, arms, and head are always in perfect position for every dance she’s doing. She’s so damn precise, and she wrings every last bit of energy out of every move she makes. Electrifying. They’d be foolish not to bring her back next season!

Most Shudder Inducing Commercial: The BacheloretteHeidi: Oh ick. Court, yell at me when you realize I’m watching that trash.Courtney: Not a problem, dearie – if I recall, I think I scolded you for watching Jake when he was still on The Bachelor, hehe. Is it just me, or does Allie look like she’s 12 years old? I won’t go any further…I know John has a thing for blondes, so he prolly thinks she’s cute as a button 😉Heidi: sigh…yes, you yelled at me. But I have this thing for trainwrecks and lack of fun shit to do on Monday nights.

The Ryan Seacrest Cheeseball Award: The DWTS script writers for the blatant rip off of Ryan’s pre-commercial tease “…when we come back.”Heidi: Geez, people, don’t imitate the crap show with the falling ratings, ‘k??Courtney: And actually, Seacrest has been catching some flack this season too – his standoffs with Simon, off-color comments, and generally drunk behavior has been raising eyebrows for weeks now. Guess he picked up the cray-cray right where Paula left off, eh?Heidi: Did you see the results show tonight (yes, I had to see Gaga and Harry)?? Did you HEAR what Ryan said to Harry? I don’t think I can actually repeat it in polite company. Well, yeah, okay, I can. Harry is joking with Ellen about a play rivaly and Harry says, to Ellen: “Eyes away from me” and Ryan pops in with “Eyes away from his organ” – Yo, Harry wasn’t playing an organ, and there was no other way to take that comment in that context. Dude is on some crack or he’s got one job too many. Or he has a huge crush on Harry and that was what ya call a Freudian Slip. Take your pick.

Well, that’s all for this week folks. Tune in next week for more snark, the occassional swoon, and just plain bitching. It’s what we do.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)